Relationship Matters

8th May, 2014

A Letter from Todd

Dear Antioch Family-

I want to begin by saying ‘well done’ to all of you who were involved with our Easter Sunday service. For those of you who weren’t able to make it, instead of our normal service we had an Easter Egg hunt and a fete before the service began. The service itself mixed testimonies, worship, and a simple presentation of the Gospel.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure how all of this would come together, but my expectations for the day were surpassed in almost every way. We had a huge number of guests and four of them indicated that they prayed to received Jesus!

None of this would’ve been possible without those who turned up early to set up and serve, those who invited friends and family, those who served our kids, and those who worked hard in leading worship and sharing their testimonies. This was a great example of the body of Christ using their individual gifts and working together to reach their community. I believe this is just a small taste of what’s to come.

We’ve also begun a new sermon series called Relationship Matters, which is all about growing in our ability to love people well. This is vital for us as believers, because it is the quality of our relationships — how well we love — that is often the best evidence of our faith in Jesus. Or, as the Apostle John states “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:20)

This series will be examining some of the core principles the Bible gives us for loving people well: forgiveness, handling conflict, communication, and how to prevent your own issues from disrupting your relationships. We’ll also be looking at different stages of life and what it means to love well as a single, in a marriage, or as a parent. If you have missed any of these sermons or you want to listen again they are available on our Listen Online page.

So whatever stage you’re in, God has given us plenty of wisdom for navigating relationships well. My prayer is that we would become a people whose love for Jesus is clearly seen in our love for one another.